Can we teach kids peace? The most recent years have been violent close to home. Dr. Maria Montessori always emphasized children as being an integral part of the peace process. It seems that the present time is calling for a focus on that teaching again.

“Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war.” ~ Dr. Montessori

Dr. Montessori's peace “curriculum” drew me in immediately. The approach makes sense. There are three levels of experiencing peace: world peace, community peace, and inner peace. How beautiful to recognize the levels of peace within one's life? World peace is a big topic full of politics and inequality. Community (or in our children's case classroom) peace celebrates the ability to resolve conflict, while inner peace pays attention to the needs within one's self whatever those needs may be.

In the United States this month we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..The topics of peace, justice, and equality are opportunities for us adults to begin dialogues with our children, the leaders of tomorrow. Dr. Montessori's ideas for the classroom are as relevant today as they ever were for children and for teachers. Below are a few ideas to get you started on bringing peace into your home or classroom.

11 Ways to Teach Kids Peace

Plant life – Caring and understanding plants is a big step toward compassion and kindness.

Practice gratitude – Ask questions to get children thinking about their ideas around gratitude.

Reduce waste – A healthy environment is a powerful message to keeping the peace with Mother Earth. Understanding how to care for the environment and its needs depending on the habitat carves the way for peace making.

Silence game – A classic Montessori work for the early childhood classroom. See this post on the Silence Activity for more details!.

Prepare yourself – Most of us adults forget to evaluate ourselves before diving into influencing the lives of young children. Taking a spiritual journey is a requirement of Montessori training. Preparing yourself for the classroom in general is critical. I wrote about preparing ourselves for the classroom in this post a while ago.

Teach kids courage – Cultivating peace or pursuing peace is a big job that requires loads of courage. I researched the BEST books to teach children about courage, not matter your definition of courage. One of my most popular posts over the last two years, I think you will enjoy the ideas.

Books to teach kids peace – Along the same vein as courage, teaching kids about peace can be a paralyzing start. What a big topic? Where do we begin? That is precisely why I came up with this list of books to teach kids about peace.

Yoga cards – Inner peace is often forgotten. How can we teach our children to self-regulate in a way that honors their emotions as strong as they may be? Integration meditation into the daily routine is a huge step in the right direction. The ABC Yoga Cards for Kids are a phenomenal way to ignite a child's desire to want meditation to be a daily part of his life.

Quiet corner – No matter who we are, a quiet corner is a must. Even the most extroverted person needs a space where she can slow down her engine. Creating a go to quiet corner is key in a child's environment whether at home or in the classroom. All it takes is a few pillows or a comfy chair, a window or natural light, maybe a book, maybe a plant, maybe a blanket, maybe headphones with easy listening music…the possibilities for a quiet corner are seemingly endless.

Outdoor quiet space – Just as important as the indoor space for calm is an outdoor space. Have each child identify a sitting spot where he or she can go to simply be. We have a family sitting spot in our yard but also have designated individual sitting spots around our outdoor space. Kids take ownership, name the space, and decorate the space as they see fit. Truly lovely!

There is something about Martin Luther King Jr. that rocks my world. His legacy, his message, his death, his voice…

Like many of you, I struggle with trying to find a balance between giving my kids everything (I never had) and exposing my kids to the fact that most people in this world live differently, with a lot less.

My sons don't finish the food on their plate.Do I show them starving children?

My sons ask for more Legos.Do I show them children living on the streets without a roof over their head?

How do I talk to kids about Dr. King and his legacy? Segregation is not a word I like to have to define within this context. We have to find a way, though, to bring up the tougher circumstances, especially those circumstances that are close to home.

“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” ~ Maya Angelou

How to Talk to Kids about Martin Luther King Jr.

Step #1 – Think about Your Story

I don't believe in protecting my children from the world's troubles. I want them to see and to feel the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want them to fail. I want them to recognize our fortune and be gracious in their daly lives.

I grew up in a single parent family. My mother was a math & science teacher (a dang amazing one at that) for nearly four decades. Even though we didn't grow up with much money, I never realized that we weren't “rich” until I grew up and left home. It was a shock to me. My mother worked magic because I truly believed we had everything (and we did!!).

You know why?

Because we had each other.

Because we had community.

Because we laughed and we spent time with each other. We had dinner together almost every night (even though my brother always seemed to escape to the bathroom at clean up time). We worked together as a team to make our family and our home work successfully.

Adversity in our life bred strength and goodness. That is the message I want my kids to hear loud and clear.

We weren't perfect.

We had bumps.

We learned a lot about ourselves.

We made life work.

In the end, we're still together and…

we still feel like we have it all.

Step #2 – Where to Begin the Conversation

Acknowledging, honoring, and celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life is important. I was paralyzed in how to introduce my children to such a big topic. My boys are young but I know children are capable of understanding so much about the world. So, keep an eye and an ear out for the opportunity to have the conversations. Don't be afraid of those moments. Don't run from them.

Step #3 – Create the Environment that Works for You

I researched all the wonderful and creative Martin Luther King Jr. Crafts and Activities for Kids. I downloaded and printed out coloring pages. Made a peace sign from a paper plate. Purchased multi colored crayons. Traced our hands. We did it all, at least it seemed that way.

Truthfully, I felt that none of it was sticking to them. None of those activities were bringing home the weight of the day, the celebration, the honor…

Step #4 – Find the Moment

Then we were in the car. I fired up Youtube on my phone. Plugged my phone into the car. Searched for the “I have a Dream” speech. Pressed Play. Then I waited. My boys were deep in Lego imaginary play, which continued for quite a few minutes into his speech.

Then the backseat became quiet.

There is something about Dr. King's voice that draws us. My 5.5 year old noticed his black face in the old broken black and white video playing his speech loud and clear in our car.

For that moment I knew something was driving into them. Then the questions began firing at me:

“Why is he talking about black people getting hurt?”

“Did white people kill black people, Mom?”

“Why couldn't black people hold white people's hands?”

“They have black faces but their insides are the same, right, Mom?”

By this time, my eyes teared up.

“Yes. Most of us look different on the outside but our insides are the same. We have hearts that love and lungs that breath. We have brain that think…”

“Well, then, why, why, just because they have black faces did they not get the same things white faced people got?”

Good question, my sweet darling.

I did the best I could to answer his questions. I wanted both my sons (my 4 year old sat attentively listening and processing) to continue pondering these ideas and these circumstances.

Playing the ‘I Have a Dream‘ speech is a perfect introduction to the significance of Martin Luther King Jr.. Last year my sons were 3.5 and 2 years old. My older son had a few questions but we didn't go very much in depth on the topic of equality, peace and diversity. Anti-bias is a big topic. I want to make sure we approach the ideas thoughtfully and respectfully. So our activities last year planted seeds for later conversations about equality, peace and diversity. With that thinking, I came up with this plan for a day with kids including several Martin Luther King Jr. Activities.

Martin Luther King Jr. Activities

Create the Environment

My plan this year is to probe a bit deeper. We will listen to MLK's famous speech. I will ask my children how the words made their bodies feel to tap their ongoing emotional development. Then I will show a picture of MLK to my boys and ask them to describe who they see. I want to get a benchmark. Do they see the differences, understand the impacts (both positive and negative) of these differences? I will give them a bit if background on equal rights as they guide me to do so.

Plan an Activity

My plan is to prepare an art project, like this Fingerprint Dove, to do together. Hopefully, then, the conversation will occur more naturally. Additionally, one of my favorite books on this topic is called All the Colors of the Earth (Mulberry Books) by Sheila Hamanaka. I highly recommend picking up this book. Your local library should have a copy but it is definitely worth owning. While we work on the dove and read the book I suspect my boys will have questions.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Activities

I love this diversity activity we did for Earth Day to celebrate all the unique people and places around the world.

Children are very capable of understanding big topics and of working with biases in a positive and productive way. Celebrations like Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a perfect opportunity to open to the door to learning already ripe for igniting in a child.

Below are my favorite Martin Luther King Jr. crafts, activities and ideas for celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Kids. Be sure to check out my Martin Luther King Jr. Day for Kids Pinterest board for more favorites. All images are sourced from the original linked up post. Please click through to the websites for all the details!

I found these Martin Luther King Jr. Crafts for Kids and had to share them with you all!
We have a few activities in the works on our end that I will be sure to share with you soon.

What is Diversity? from Mari at Kids Activities Blog and Inspired by Family Magazine rocked this big topic! What child does not love cracking eggs AND the element of surprise! Plus, the lesson sticks with children.

Crafts for Martin Luther King Jr. Day from Valerie at Inner Child Fun offers simple and beautiful activities. I adore this Peace Symbol plate. Easy to put together and lots of room for creativity!